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Our last day in Bar Harbor was to be a short one. After lunch we would promptly head back to Bangor to fly out to Detroit (deh twah) and then back to Cincinnati. It would take pretty much the whole day due to layovers and making sure that we got through security. So with nothing to do, I decided to take up my sister’s offer for a spa day. And spa I did.

Essentially I was covered in mud, wrapped in foil, serenaded by world music, washed off by a fancy shower, and yeah, it was great. When I was foiled up, I couldn’t help but think that that must be what a pop tart must feel like.

After my detoxifying, we headed out for our last meal in Bar Harbor. After much debate we headed to Paddy’s, an Irish pub. Luckily we got there right when they began serving lunch so I could grab something pretty substantial for the long day ahead.

Really sweet menu at Paddy’s

A fighting Irish for breakfast, to retoxify.

Paddy’s.

After a wonderful meal, we said our goodbyes to Bar Harbor and I snapped one more shot of the Margaret Todd as it floated in the mist. Onward to the airport!

Getting to the airport four hours early has its perks. I got to work on my blog from the night before and spend some time reflecting. That’s about it.

Eventually we got onto our plane. This first one was the longer of the two. It was good to get it out of the way.

This guy played the same game the whole flight. With nothing to do, I watched intently.

After landing in Detroit around 6:30, we felt the need to get some food in us. Since we had almost four hours until our next flight, we figured we had time to sit down and grab some good eats. To continue our seafood binge, we headed to a Japanese place called Sora for some sushi.

After another lovely meal (the last of our vacation food), we found some more chill time to wander about and explore the airport. And here is my conclusion: I love the Detroit airport.

With all my free time I was able to finish the blog post from the day before and catch some Gravity Falls on my laptop. It is a most wonderful show and it definitely helped pass the time.

Soon enough I was Cincinnati-bound and on the verge of passing out. Travelling is tiring for some reason. But soon we found ourselves home and the trip over. I promptly fell asleep. The end.

Thanks for sticking around folks. It’s not quite over though. I plan to do one more overall review of the trip, share some favorite moments, and make a video from all the footage I grabbed while I was there. Not sure how it’ll turn out but be on the lookout for that.

Well maybe not jogging, let’s not get too carried away, but it was definitely time for some hiking. Within Acadia National Park, there is a very large pond. It’s name? Jordan Pond. Apparently it is the smallest pond in the area but it also one of the deepest. It also have a very large trail that goes all the way around it. Let the walking and LOTR quoting continue!

What makes this trail interesting (and with three miles you need interesting), is that it is split up into three sections. The first part is just a normal nature trail, nothing special. But after you make it to the other side of the lake, it becomes a rock trail that you need to carefully climb and balance over to make it to the third, final, and most awesome part of the trail. The final section is a wooden plank trail.

After our hike, it was time for some much needed lunch. We went to the Jordan Pond House for one of the best meals I’d had yet. The Lobster Stew was phenomenal! Also, JPH is famous for their very hard to define pastery-ish, awesome, yummy, fluffy, things called popovers. They’re super good and taste great with butter, jam, and as I found out, Lobster Stew. This is a “must-go-to” in Bar Harbor.

Walking around in another foggy Maine day was great. Since Cadillac Mountain was just next door, we figured we would try to see the view again, even though it was still foggy (that doesn’t make much sense now in hindsight).

Some folk chillin’ by Jordan Pond.

After another “disappointed” experience at Cadillac Mountain, we headed back to the Inn in the harbor to kick back and relax ourselves. These days are really starting to add up on us.

A foggy day in Bar Harbor.

With an afternoon of relaxing and enjoying the weather and the harbor going by, it was no surprise that sooner or later, something interesting would happen. And it did. It came in the form of a pissed off seagull.

He has spotted me.

He and the crows don’t seem to get along. But they kept squawking at him and soon enough…

He went in for the kill. The Victor awaits more challengers from his perch.

After a lot of debate, we picked a place to serve as our final dinner in Bar Harbor. Rupununi’s was our prime candidate. And it was good. Mostly cause they knew how to cook steak (see Bar Harbor Trip Day Four).

After an evening of fine eats and good drinking, we went back to the Reading Room Lounge for some live piano music and some night caps. I was fortunate enough to find a port that was almost as old as I am and cost less than half. It was a good evening. But it wasn’t over yet. For my last act, I went out and tried to do some long-exposure photography. But between all the good food and wine, I soon gave in to the beautiful yet strong call to sleep (hence why this post is late). Tomorrow would be our last morning/afternoon in Bar Harbor. And there is just one more item on my list of things to do.

Today was a late start for the first time. Waking up at 8:30 a.m. I opened my eyes to another rainy cloudy day in Bar Harbor, but this time, we had fog.

After checking it out but never eating there, we finally decided to stay in and eat at The Reading Room at our Inn. The view was wonderful with the fog over the bay.

Seeing as you couldn’t see anything anywhere near the sea, we headed inland to the mountains… which were just as covered in fog. To many, this would be a drag but honestly, it was a fantastic experience. I came up with a semi-pseudo deep thought. Ahem.

“Too often, we see things from afar. Yet so little do we look at things up close.”

-Philosophlicese

You would maybe be able to see within 20 feet of yourself. Other than that it was a fog bank everywhere you looked. Any “view” that might normally be there was replaced with a large white wall. And it was glorious. It created an experience like nothing else.

People wander in the mist The mist did not stop the hikers. A stone stairway leading out a basin and back into the fog. This is the view we were promised.

This is the view that I got.

Cadillac Mountain is named after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, the Frenchman who founded Detroit. Here’s my fun fact section for the day: Detroit is actually a French name pronounced something like deh twah. Try to say it in your most Frenchish accent. The car company in Detroit was also named after him by its founders.

Cadillac Mountain is in the Acadia National Park, a mere 5 minute drive out of Bar Harbor.

I also decided to take some time to run around in the mist and quote Lord of the Rings. Cause I’m a huge nerd like that. Here’s my shameless self-promotion section for the day: at the end of all of this, I’ll be putting together a video to bring to life some of these stories I’ve told you. Hopefully it’ll be cool. If not, at least my one LOTR part might bring some smiles to your lovely faces. Moving on.

We drove around the park for awhile but soon fell prey to an outstanding hunger. Feeling pretty wiped from my “orc hunting” and the hiking around in the mist, we decided to return to town and go check out Geddy’s for some lunch. Having already been there two nights ago, I was really happy with that decision.

Geddy’s!

Although our bartender from the other night wasn’t there, we still had a great time. We ordered so much food and it was all good and still so much cheaper than most places. We had macho nachos served on a hubcap (not used, no worries), salad, lobster roll, chowder, pizza, beer, wine, you name it. It was just a good fun place to return to.

Since we didn’t have much planned and all of the “sights” were essentially out for the day due to extremely awesome fog, we decided to take the day off to chill and wander a bit on our own. After snapping some photos of the fog in the harbor, my sis and I headed out to Matsumoto Joe’s for some coffee and chill time.

The Margaret Todd makes another another appearance.

A macchiato and a latte fight off the cold of the rainy foggy day.

I finally got to feel like a local spending some time sitting in a café, reading a book over some strong coffee and watching the rain mist down on Bar Harbor as the city moved on with its day.

My view out of an open door at Matsumoto Joe’s.

After lazing about for bit we headed back out once more for some eats. We went to Testa’s, an Italian place right across the street from our Inn. The food was good. But more importantly I got to satisfy my port craving. I was a happy camper.

I hate to end with such little content today because I feel like I captured so little of what was a beautiful and fun day. Like I said before, all the rain and fog could come across like a fun-sucker. But truth be told, I felt more connected to Bar Harbor because of it. No longer was it about the big fancy tourist spots but rather it forced many to either watch television in their hotel rooms, or they had to experience the town for it’s little things. The things that you can only see when you get up close and personal after all the buses and boats give up. Today was a good day.

A misty Bar Harbor.

Thanks again folks! Come back tomorrow for my last full day in the wonderful town of Bar Harbor. Although it seems another day of rain and fog is ahead of us, we’re going to go back to Acadia National Park to explore an area called Jordan Pond. After that, the sky is the limit. All I know is, I’m going to get some much needed sleep. I’m still sore from all that Heave-Ho-ing.

I can’t believe it’s only day three. I feel like we’ve done so much in so little time already!

Today began around 7 a.m. with a knock at the door to get out of bed for a breakfast on the other side of town. Despite the feelings of my family, I was quite pleased to find myself walking out to a cool rainy Bar Harbor. Off to Café This Way.

It took most of the day to realize that the title of the café was a play on words. My brain is fried. White footsteps lead you to the café a block away from the main street.

After another lovely breakfast, still keeping with the challenge, we headed out to wander about a bit before another boating excursion. We ran into a guy who knew a lot about the stained glass of a church we were looking at. Although it was closed that early in the morning, we would be back later to check it out.

Awesome church with some sweet stained glass.

The point of our aquatic exploration was to check out the coastline of the mainland as well as some of the surrounding islands and their lighthouses. With the cold and the rain I had to wear three layers and purchase a hat from a shop nearby. I think the weather is in cahoots with the tourist traps.

It’s not my usual yellow hat but I love it. I say that mostly because it kept me alive. The whale helped a lot.

We headed out into the bay and beyond, catching some sweet sights, learning some history, and riding most of the way up front on the bow, disregarding the cold winds and rain. It was worth it.

I feel like I’m flying!

That’s really where Martha Stewart lives. She has the gravel and pines all washed and evenly dispersed every year.

A ferry takes a dump truck across a bay.

A lobsterman goes through his recent haul, tossing out a lobster he can’t use. There are only certain lobsters that you are allowed to keep.

Although the journey was nowhere near over, I finally submitted to the rain and cold and retreated to the galley for something warm to drink. My drink of choice? Hot chocolate with a splash of whiskey. The crewman working the galley gave me a look of confusion but was happy to help out and let me do as I pleased. I’m hoping to have it added to the menu in future months.

After about an hour or so, we got to our first lighthouse.

And another.

The sun was in my face, but I swear I could see! Well, kinda,

We rode around for almost three hours, checking out rich people’s houses and some sweet lighthouses. All the while, I had a lot of time spent at the front of the bow, imagining what life was like for sailor’s way back in the day,

The family fights against the cold to stand at the bow.

An army of seagulls and a lighthouse.

A poor attempt at some HDR. Oh well, gotta start somewhere. I’m on vacation so I’m gonna play around a bit 😛

A seal got really close to the ship.

A group of fishers taking a break back on the dock.

After our three-hour excursion, we headed back to the mainland for so much needed lunch. I had seen a place awhile back and wanted to check it out. To be honest, at this point I had been slightly disappointed in a place or two, but really everything had been delicious. This place was no exception.

The West St. Café Seaside Grill.

We decided to go for a light lunch, primarily soups and salads. Afterward, we didn’t have any plans so I went back to the Inn to give in to my food coma.

After sitting around for awhile, trying to regain some energy, it was time to go back out and check out that church.

Another experiment, some long exposure shots.

And another HDR attempt.

After wandering around some, with more time to kill before cocktails and dinner, I saw with my two eyes, a brewery with both beer and wine tastings. I knew how I was going to spend my time.

The Bar Harbor brewing company not only makes fine beer and wine, but it also has a great staff of people willing to talk to you about their products and the area. My Dad and I had a great time talking with the beer guy about our beer experiences, swapping stories and suggestions. We also got to talk to a couple from Boston. I love that accent so much. I wish I could replicate it but I just can’t yet. But soon!

Then it began. It felt like the building was swaying. Turns out, it was me who was swaying. Apparently the effects of riding a boat for so long made me get all weird and vertigo-y. Even now as I write this, the room I’m in feels like it’s rocking back and forth atop the water. Blarg.

Enough of that though. Back out of the brewery, we wandered around and checked out some shops for awhile before going to a place we had been told to go to for dinner. Galyn’s.

Galyn’s was a nice sounding place. It was said to have delicious food and the best view of the harbor in the area. False! Not only was I disappointed in my meal, but the view was just ok. I found the view from my Inn’s restaurant to be far superior and allowed for more people to partake in it as they ate their meals.

Insert long rant about how steak should be made and eaten here. It was their “specialty” and I can confidently say that I could do better with a $5 hunk of whatever meat and some simple seasoning. This is why I keep arguing for “hole-in-the-wall” joints as opposed to the “big deal fancy-pants” restaurants. The way I like to eat out on vacation is to find out where the locals go. It tends to be better and usually cheaper.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel for some drinks in the lounge. Aided by live piano music, we enjoyed a classy evening complete with fine cocktails and good company. Although I was tempted to go out to try some long exposure photography over the bay, I felt the need to return to my room for some much needed sleep. Oh wait, I’ve got a blog to run!

My drink of choice, always, A Manhattan.

The piano man.

Well that’s that for today, folks. Thanks for reading, as always and come back tomorrow for another update.

We’ve still got a lot of time out here so if you know of any cool things to see or some great food places to try, please comment or tweet at me @Pdidion.

Day Two of our Maine extravaganza included a solo adventure that took place in the slow early hours of the morning. Which, if any of you know me personally, you know I hate being up early, especially at 5 a.m. But this wasn’t so bad. I went out to catch the sunrise. And it was grand.

After spending a good hour plus outside, wandering around the bay, enjoying the morning, and getting as many shots of the rising sun as I could (before my camera battery died, bah!), I began to head back to bed when I ran into my parents taking a walk. We decided to grab some breakfast at a local place called Jeannie’s Breakfast. The most challenging part of my morning had come: finding a lobster-based breakfast to continue my Maine eating challenge. I thought for sure I was doomed. I was wrong.

May I present: Lobster Benedict

After a wonderful breakfast and a couple cups of coffee, we took to the streets. It was strange how quite Bar Harbor was this morning. The streets were empty despite the heavy flow of both vehicular and humanular traffic we had experienced the whole day prior. Little did I know. The horde was on its way.

I figured I could head back to the hotel for a quick rest as I was already feeling sluggish after a long and early creative morning.

Main Street in the morning, completely empty.

And then I saw it. A 4,000 capacity cruise ship had entered the bay.

The tourists are coming! The Tourists are coming!

I knew there was only one way to survive. I had to blend in. And thus, I received a disguise.

Decked out in all vibrant Bar Harbor gear, I was ready to hide in plain sight.

Donning my new fine apparel, we took to the streets to do some exploring before a sail boat ride around the many small islands in the harbor. The streets felt a little more normal with life returning to them and shops opening up to lure in people “from away” as the locals say.

After hearing good things, we decided to find Stewman’s Downtown, a place we would later go to for dinner.

A spiffy olde antique shop. Sadly, they had no olde cameras around. I like to collect them.

Grr manly things. Sports. Booze. Cigars.

After some shopping around, we figured we should grab an early lunch before our boat ride. We were all so hungry we went for the first place we saw, Cherrystones.

Lobster and Crab Club and a lovely local beer.

We still had a decent amount of time before our sail boat experience so we headed to a sweet internet café called The Opera House. It was quite the sight. It had a whole room full of computers for gaming, board games, tables, etc. It was fantastic. I had enough time to grab a local paper, sit down and read. It was great.

The Opera House’s main lounging room. Great atmosphere and cool people.

Now you’d think I would have a trillion shots from a sail boat ride. Well, you’ve actually seen the boat we rode multiple times already. It’s that large 4-mast (I don’t know my naval terms) that keeps popping up in my bay pictures, the Margaret Todd. Other than that there wasn’t much to see. I had a blast anyway though. The sea was rather calm and little wildlife showed up, but I got to learn a lot about the area, it’s history, and why Maine has so many lobsters. But I will provide this shot of my father and I helping to lift the sails. We volunteered and it was awesome.

We got to yell “Heave!” “Ho!”

Once again, I hate to say the ride was uneventful but nothing spectacular happened. It was just fun to be out riding around in the bay. The cool air from the north was cutting through the heat of the day and the bay water spray felt refreshing as it washed away a day of sweat and the stresses of a busy school year. And best of all, we completely avoided the masses of tourists from the cruise ship. Two-for.

We headed back to our Inn for a quick break, some drinks, and some reflections before heading out to Stewman’s Downtown as planned.

Feeling a little tired of the usual. I decided to get something a little different. I got a salad…. a lobster salad. Boom. The challenge continues. I hope this is a tan I’m getting. If my skins turns red I’ll begin to fear that all of this seafood is turning me into a lobster.

A lobster Cobb salad. Delicious yet not all that filling. I’ll need more later.

Apparently the surrounding area (Acadia) is famous for blueberries. Or that’s a tourist trap. Either way, I figured I’d try something Blueberryish. I went for a local blueberry beer. It wasn’t overpowering like most fruity beers. Although it wasn’t my favorite beer, it’s certainly better than most fruit-flavored beers.

Our group began to fade as Dad went back to the hotel to sleep and after some walking and shopping, my sister Emily went back as well. My Mum and I weren’t quite ready to end the night at 8:30 so we went out for a drink and a snack at a place an awesome shop-owner suggested. I bought a sweet mug from him that I’ll have to show later.

At Geddy’s, my Mum and I ordered some drinks and a small pizza to try out. We soon began a conversation with a young lady sitting alone at the bar and the bartender. We had some good laughs and swapped some stories about our experiences in bar harbor. After ordering a 2 1/2 lb. lobster, the bartender shared his lobster-shell cracking skills with the young lady and we listened intently, learning the tricks of the beast’s defenses.

We ended the night still rather early but it had been a long day and we had another one coming up the next day. That didn’t stop me from spending some time on my porch, watching some other Inn residents pass by. It was a good day.

Thanks for reading folks! As I’ve said in other posts, follow me on Twitter @Pdidion if you want some extras and more in-between content. Check back again tomorrow for another day in Maine.